


Lonely Hearts

by America Coulson (Nilipari)



Series: The America Coulson Adventures [2]
Category: Marvel, Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Based on a Tumblr Post, F/M, Inspired by Roleplay/Roleplay Adaptation, Kinky Tony Stark, Kinky sex, Original Character(s), Sex/Smut scenes are optional reading, Twitter Roleplay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-05-08 21:12:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 9,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5513468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nilipari/pseuds/America%20Coulson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony Stark takes a sudden interest in Phil Coulson's daughter. What was going on was obvious to anyone: Tony Stark, recently single after Pepper Potts broke off her relationship with him, had shamelessly set his sights on another red haired woman. He's a playboy, after all. ...Or is there something different this time?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. How The Whole Thing Started

**Author's Note:**

> Coulson was dealing with the day from hell. Some Asgardian friends of Thor were having a little too much fun in a nearby shopping mall and he'd had to send Captain America, Hawkeye, and The Black Widow to round them up, The Hulk was M.I.A., and Tony Stark was being Tony Stark. Coulson sighed as he sat in Lola for a minute outside of Stark Tower. He looked to his right and groaned quietly before pulling out his phone and hitting speed dial.

"America? Hey, sweetie. I need a favour. I'm supposed to be handing Stark a file that Fury wants him to take a look at, but thanks to this Asgardian fiasco, I've forgotten it on my desk. Could you-- Oh, Meri, thank you. You're an angel. See you soon."

And with that, Coulson straightened up, adjusted his tie, and headed in to meet Tony Stark and extract him from whatever project he was tinkering on currently. The Avengers may have saved the planet, but Tony Stark, it seemed, wouldn't change for the world. Luckily for Coulson, trying to get Tony to pay attention to him took long enough that by the time Tony had poured himself a drink and flopped into a chair, his red-haired daughter had arrived with the file.

"So, Agent, what can I do for you?" Tony said, but his gaze flew to the woman who stepped into the room.

"Director Fury needs to you to look at this." Coulson said, taking the file from America and holding it out for Stark.

Tony ignores the file and instead gestures at America, “You look…familiar.”

America had met Tony Stark plenty of times. Heck, he’d even walked into her – and nearly spilled his drink on her - at a Christmas party at Stark Tower one year. America was Agent Coulson’s plus one to just about everything, so America and Tony weren’t exactly strangers. But they weren’t friends either. Tony Stark was a playboy, millionaire, genius, philanthropist, etcetera, and America Coulson was ultimately just an ordinary girl.

Tony felt like he was seeing her clearly for the first time in his life.

America’s brow creased and she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I…I believe you once called me Agent Junior, Mr. Stark,” she replied softly, before her attention turns to Coulson, “See you later, Dad.”

“There’s no need for you to leave already. Won’t you sit down, America?”

The words were out of Tony’s mouth before she could even turn to leave. America froze where she was, her gaze lifting to look at Tony with a ‘Who, me?’ look.

“Yes, you, America. C’mon. Have a seat. Can I get you anything?”

For a moment, Tony sees something she probably didn’t mean for him to see - insecurity. He’s caught her off guard, and he couldn’t blame her. He’d always dismissed the Agent’s daughter as being irrelevant. Now, he wasn’t so sure. America’s vulnerability is gone faster than he can blink and a confident smile appears on her face as she takes a seat next to Coulson.

“I’m okay, thank you Mr. Stark.” She replies calmly.

“Call me Tony, Miss Coulson.”

“Some other time, maybe, Mr. Stark. We’re here on SHIELD business.”

‘It’s a façade,’ Tony notes, ‘Acting natural and professional to take attention away from herself and to the topic at hand. Clever.’ Tony just chuckles in response.

“She already sounds exactly like you, Agent. Why didn’t you ever mention what a gem your daughter was?”

For one damn good reason - Agent Coulson knew Tony Stark’s reputation with his lovers. America, he was sure, would be treated no differently. So he ignores the question.

“SHIELD was hoping---“ He’s cut off by Tony, who waves a hand.

“Consider it done, Agent Coulson. I’ll be there.”

Tony knew he would regret that when he did have to drag his butt down to SHIELD, but for now, he just wanted to /notice/ America without interruption. The way she tucked her hair behind her ear, her pretty little smile, and her well-hidden firey personality that he was certain she had buried underneath her usual pretending-to-be-normal mode.

America simply returned his gaze with a blank expression as she resisted the desire to squirm or blush.

Tony’s attention didn’t go unnoticed, of course.  When it came time to leave, Coulson glared at Tony threateningly as soon as America was out of the room.

“She’s off limits, Stark.” He hissed.

But everyone knew that Tony Stark can never resist a challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello! Another America Coulson-based story, this time featuring Tony Stark! I also came across [this Tumblr post](http://thefandomimagine.tumblr.com/post/97123946474/submitted-by-anonymous?is_related_post=1), which may have had something to do with it...  
> I hope you enjoy this story! =)


	2. Getting to Know You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That’s how it all started.

Whenever America Coulson was in the room, Tony's attention was fixated on her. When he saw her admiring another woman’s bracelet at a party, he tracked down the store it was bought from and sent one to her. When Fury told him he had to attend a gala as a representative of SHIELD, he insisted that America was his plus one because, “She’s Agent Coulson’s daughter, according to her file that I hacked into she’s almost as good at fighting as Natasha which means she makes an excellent bodyguard, and she can charm just about anyone”.

What was going on was obvious to anyone: Tony Stark, recently single after Pepper Potts broke off her relationship with him, had shamelessly set his sights on another woman.  
America knew it, too. And even though Coulson was giving her the ‘stay away from Tony Stark’ speech as often as he could, America continued to maintain her undercover personality – for the job, she told her father. It was all a job.

Meanwhile, for that gala, and every gig thereafter when she was supposed to go to with Tony, regardless of whether it was SHIELD business or Stark Industries business, a new dress, shoes, jewellery, and anything else she might need would appear at her doorstep made to measure, to ensure America always looked breathtaking when Tony pulled up in his Audi to pick her up. And America would go with Tony every single time, and pretend her and Tony were some sort of thing and she was his new assistant. All in the name of SHIELD, right?  
Excuses, excuses.  
The truth was that there was something incredibly thrilling about stepping into the light of Tony’s headlights and seeing him struggle to maintain his composure before his jaw hits the floor. It was so... _validating_ to go from the girl next door to the girl approved of by the most desired man in town.

 

It was finally in those drives to and from the various meetings, events, galas, and parties that Tony got to know America. At first it had been like questioning a brick wall – she was calm, composed, and utterly silent.

“Tell me about yourself, ‘Merica,” he’d asked her, “give me something to work with. We’re not gonna look like a couple if I know nothing about you.”

“Everything you need to know was in that mission file, Mr. Stark.” She said stoically.

It was maddening. No matter how much Tony pestered her, America deflected every question until finally, one night he pulled off the highway so suddenly that by the time Tony turned to her, he was face-to-face with the end of her pistol, a panicking America on the other end of it.

“What is your problem, America Coulson?” He said angrily. “Have I done something wrong? Do you not like the dresses? Do you secretly hate me, or something? Because I’m just trying to get to know you, but you make that insanely difficult when you pretend you’re made out of stone. What are you so afraid of, huh? Can’t we be _friends_? Or are you so busy focusing on how you have to pretend you’re an average non-agent who doesn’t spend her days worrying about her father that you don’t have time to talk to anyone? Are you afraid you’re going to let something slip?”

The gun lowers, America’s eyes wide. “H-How’d you know that I worry about my father?”

“You’re constantly texting him. Pretty obvious.” Tony shrugged, turning the ignition off and sinking into his seat before turning his head to look out his window.

“M-Mr. Stark..?”

Tony raises a finger. “First things first, Dollface. It’s /Tony/. I don’t care if you’re an agent or not – call me Tony.”

He can hear America take a deep breath as she puts her gun back into her purse before she tries again. “…Tony. Why aren’t we moving? We’re going to be late.”

“Because, America,” he says, turning towards her and leaning right into her personal space, “I want to know what it is that you’re so afraid of.”

He meets her hesitant gaze and holds it. America bites her lip and looks away. “Everyone tells me that I can't trust you, because you're the guy that takes one tiny clue and will hack into SHIELD's system to solve the rest of the puzzle. And I… I’ve been trusted with a lot of secrets, Tony. I need them to stay that way. I don’t mind talking to you, I just need you to know when not to pry.”

“Deal. If I ask something you can’t answer, then I won’t go looking for answers.”

With that, Tony turns the car on again, internally cursing himself for the deal he’s had to strike with America to get her to cooperate. At least, finally, he was able to get to know things about her, like her taste in music and her love of baking. Finally.

America slowly began to let her guard down around Tony, and Tony finally got to know America-the-woman, instead of ‘Coulson’s-Kid-With-The-Patriotic-Name America’. And she was marvelous. Sassy, fun-loving, yet still able to reign Tony in if he was getting too personal for her tastes. And strangely enough, he never minded when she redirected his questions – they were both having too much fun getting to be themselves for a while during those moments in Tony’s car.


	3. Genius, Billionaire, Philanthropist....Gentleman?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> America started to notice a pattern – wherever America went as Tony’s plus-one, she was warned of Tony and how this would all end badly by whichever one of Tony’s exes that she’d inevitably bump into. One day, they claimed, she would end up in Tony’s bed, and if she was lucky, she’d up in his bed multiple times, but that in the end, the inevitable would happen. Once he had attained her, he would become bored with her and leave her. And America secretly agreed with them. After all, Tony Stark’s reputation preceded him.

 

America was never certain of when that moment would come, though this evening had seemed likely. Tony had hosted a party at his place, and the soiree had gone all night. America stood there, in the topmost, mostly glass room at the top of Stark Tower, and soaked up the view of the sunrise as Tony waved goodbye to Rhodey and at the last of the attendees. America sank into a chair and sighed, taking in the sight of the messy room.

“Don’t worry about it, ‘Merica,” he said, “The cleaning can wait. How about you crash at my place and get some sleep? Your dad’s out in….Switzerland, right? So it’s not like anyone’s waiting for you at home, in any case.”

“Norway.” She corrected him tiredly, her head propped up on her hand, her eyelids feeling heavy. “But yeah, I might take you up on that, before I fall asleep right here.”

She was so tired that she gratefully accepted the warmth of Tony’s arm around her, holding her close as he guided her to his bedroom and tucked her in, before he headed elsewhere.

 

Hours later, America stirred awake and sighed. She sat up, then immediately burrowed into the warmth under the covers as she felt cool air on her skin. She vaguely remembered Tony holding her back before she got under the covers of his bed, telling her to wait a moment and unzipping the back of her black dress for her. It had slid off her easily and she’d paid it no attention as she stepped out of the circle it had made on the floor and slipped under the covers, falling asleep just as Tony closed the door behind him.  
The dress, she noticed, had been folded neatly and set on the table on the other end of Tony’s room.

Wait – Tony’s room. She was in Tony Stark’s bedroom, but there was no sign of Tony’s presence at all. She sat up slowly, taking in the inventor’s bedroom. It was impeccably tidy, unlike Tony’s actual messy workshop. It was strange to her that he’d put her in his room – surely the man had a guest room /somewhere/ in this tower of his. This was all awfully….gentlemanly of him. And very un-playboy-like.

But she’d have to ask him later – for now, her stomach was rumbling, and her head was pounding. She needed food and aspirin ASAP.

She found Tony in the kitchen eating what America could only guess was his definition of brunch, a glass of water and a bottle of aspirin awaiting America as she walked in.

“Good morning! …Or, well. Afternoon, I guess.” Tony greeted her.

“Good afternoon,” America replied with a chuckle as she made a beeline for the aspirin, “You’re awfully chipper today. Hope you don’t mind that I borrowed your dressing gown.”

“To be honest, it’s not often that I get to entertain company for breakfast. So we’ll blame my mood on that. And that gown looks good on you, so keep it. Take a seat – breakfast is ready.”

With a smile, Tony uncovers a plate of pancakes, bacon, and eggs in front of America, still warm.

“You can cook?” America raises an eyebrow at him.

“Uh, no. I can’t.” Tony admits sheepishly. “I asked JARVIS to let me know when you were awake so that I could order breakfast for you.”

He gestured to the counter behind him that had enough food to feed ten people and laden with pastries and anything in the world that America might want for breakfast in addition to her pancakes.

“Well this is very nice of you, Tony, thank you.” She grinned at him.

“No problem, America. Now, eat up. We’ve got a busy day ahead and I need your help.”

America paused. “…We do?”

“Yep.” Tony paused to take a bite out of an apple. “We’re gonna kill two birds with one stone today. I’ve got a gentleman that wants to invest in my company that I don’t trust, and I’ll bet he’ll lead us to the guy Fury wants me to look into some more. We’re going on a mission.”

 

Said mission was actually pretty easy. America, as Tony’s assistant, rejected the investor’s offer and showed him out of the building before Tony followed him in the sky from a distance in his suit to see where he would go. A scan of the building drew connections to a known criminal mastermind, Tony got America to send all the details to Fury, and Tony arrived back at Stark Tower with a bottle of wine and lots of Thai food for a celebratory dinner.

“We’re celebrating? Already?” America said when she saw Tony.

“Hey, I did what Fury asked me to. So long as they don’t try to blow up my tower or attack me, we’ve done our job til he decides what SHIELD’s next move is gonna be.”

“And since when have _you_ been so obedient to Fury?” America teased.

Tony uncorked the wine and poured them each a glass. “Since I started paying attention to you.”

America blushed as she accepted her glass of wine.

They spent the evening eating until they were full, cracking jokes about Fury, and drinking one too many glasses of wine. America eventually ended up with her head on Tony’s shoulder, giggling and half-heartedly protesting as Tony poured the last of the wine in her glass.

“You should have some too.” She says with a fake pout.

“You failed to notice that I switched to scotch two drinks back.” Tony grinned, patting her leg, and setting America off giggling again. Tony laughed with her, wrapping his arm around her and squeezing gently, his fingers tracing random patterns on her arm.

“We make a good team, you and me, Miss America.” He said.

“I think so too, Mr. Stark.” She smiled.


	4. You Are What I Desire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still a novice when it comes to smut, and although I have written it, I wanted to leave the smut as a separate chapter all on it's own in case anyone would rather skip the smut. If that's you, then don't worry! Head on to the next chapter - you won't have missed a thing, I promise.

Neither one of them would remember later on who leaned in to kiss who, but the reaction was obvious as Tony pulled America into his lap, pushing up her pencil skirt so that she could straddle him as they kissed, Tony’s fingers deftly unbuttoning America’s blouse so that his hands could wander over her creamy skin. He could feel himself growing hard, and America could clearly feel it too, her hips pressing against his wantonly. Tony groaned and stood up, his arms tightly around America to keep her against him as he carried her to his bedroom. He set her down on the edge of the bed and she yanked his pants off as he pulled off his shirt before pushing her back onto the bed and crawling up to and on top of her.

God, she looked so pretty – skin flushed, lips swollen slightly from hungry kisses, her hair a red halo around her and only her bra and panties keeping Tony from what he craved. But he kissed her slowly, a much more gentle hunger as his hands caressed and massaged, eliciting soft noises from America. He kissed down her neck as his fingers brushed against her wetness and she moaned, wanting more. Tony obliged, teasing her with one finger and sucking on it when he was done – tasting her and her desire. She was so wet, and he couldn’t wait anymore. He made love to her gently, moaning her name and America held Tony close, whispering sweet nothings about how beautiful he made her feel until the two of them were lost in the moment, and each other. America’s climax triggered Tony’s and she gasped his name as she held him tightly. Tony kissed her forehead before rolling off of her and onto his side, pulling America into his arms, holding her close between each round of sex until they were satisfied.

When America’s eyes eventually opened, she got out of bed silently, leaving a sleeping Tony behind as she collected her things and left to go home.


	5. Not Okay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It had finally happened – Tony had gotten his prize. And now, America was certain, he would go back to pretending she didn’t really exist, so she might as well just go home now.

And yet, she realised, she didn’t regret her actions at all. America had been lonely all her life – her father often absent due to missions. She knew when she agreed to work with Tony that it was only a temporary thing, but it had been worth it to pretend that she actually meant something to him – to be the object of his attention for a while. To be herself and to be cherished were two things she rarely got to experience, and her time with Tony had been excellent. And now it was over, and she’d go back to being alone with her cherished memories of slow dances and a night of sex, humorous conversations in the car and all the champagne they’d drunk together.

And that was okay with her.

 

Apparently, it wasn’t okay with Tony, who went into a panic when he woke up alone, calling America repeatedly and sending her multiple texts, all to no response until he finally suited up and flew to her house, breaking down her door when he didn’t see any lights on. The noise is enough that the lights suddenly turn on, and there’s America at the top of the stairs with her gun in hand to protect her from the unknown intruder, clearly furious.

“…Tony?! What the fuck are you doing?!” She screeches as she lowers her gun.

“You didn’t return my calls! I woke up, and you were gone!”

“That’s because I was _asleep_  in my own bed with my phone on silent. It’s four in the goddamn morning, Tony! I thought you were someone trying to kill me!”

Tony blinks. “It is?” He shakes his head. “But why did you leave?”

“Because I woke up and figured it would be best if I could just avoid the walk of shame in the morning. Now why the hell are you here freaking out?”

Tony pauses and tries to think of why exactly he was here. Coming up empty, he changes the topic. “You didn’t need to leave. You could have stayed another day. Why come home to an empty house? You don’t deserve to be lonely. Wait – don’t tell me you left because you thought I did all of that just to have sex with you.”

America stiffens, crossing her arms. “Who said I’m lonely? This is my house. And you owe me a new door. And…you… _didn’t_ just want to have sex with me?”

“I always see the disappointed look in your eyes when I drop you home. That look of not wanting to deal with an empty home. I notice it because I feel the same way about Stark Tower ever since.... There’s usually no one there but me. I think that’s when I decided I didn’t _just_ want to have sex with you. I wanted you to not feel so lonely. I wanted that for both of us. ...And I’ll fix your door, I promise.”

Tony, still in the suit, picks up the door and places it back in the frame, the hinges completely missing.

America’s expression softens. "Okay, you know what? It’s four in the morning, it’s both too late and too early for this shit. Shut up, Tony Stark, and come up here and crash in my room for the night. We can deal with this in the morning.”

Tony obliges quietly.


	6. Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next morning is bright and cheerfully sunny, a tendril of that sun creeping ever so slowly into America’s home and onto her bed, warming America and Tony as they snuggled in their sleep with Tony in America’s arms.

Tony wakes up first, this time, and watches America sleep until she stirs awake a while later, giving Tony a sleepy little smile before she remembers the madness of the night before. Neither one of them seem to be able to find the right words to say after that.

America dodges the bullet and wiggles out of bed. “I’ll make us some breakfast. Bathroom is on the left if you need it.” She says as she leaves the room and heads for the kitchen.

Tony stays where he is for a bit, confused as to why his brain was moving so slowly all of a sudden. He was a genius with a zillion things on his mind – usually. But for some reason, America made him stop thinking. He couldn’t think of a single excuse, explanation, or alternate reason for why he was here, other than the truth.

Tony steps into the kitchen a little later and gets to work on building himself a bowl of cereal while America hummed quietly to herself, the television nearby adding in a little background babble.

And then finally, once they’re both done with breakfast, America quirks a brow at him and Tony takes the plunge.

“I… I just wanted to say I’m sorry. For breaking down your door last night. And thank you for letting me stay. And breakfast.”

“What happened, Tony?” America said softly.

“Nothing. Honestly nothing. I woke up, and you were gone and….” Tony takes a deep breath, letting it out as a sigh. “And I guess I kinda panicked. I didn’t expect you gone. I didn’t want you to leave.”

“Why?”

Tony shrugged. “I like having you around. You’re good company. And we make a good team.”

America is silent for a few moments as she thinks, then nods. “Well, in that case, I’m sorry for leaving in the middle of the night.”

America’s cellphone chimes, and she glances down at it to silence it, but her fingers pause, hovering over her screen.

“…It’s Fury,” she tells Tony, “He’s texted me to let me know I am no longer to work with you because Stark Industries has found a genuine replacement for the role I was pretending to fill and because I’m needed elsewhere.”

“Oh right.” Tony resisted the urge to smack himself in the forehead. “Yeah, um, I should have mentioned that. Pepper left, but she was kind enough to interview her replacement from her new job. So according to her, said new person will be taking over her role, AKA yours.”

“That’s okay.” America shrugs. “I knew the vacancy was only temporary. It just means we’ll be seeing a lot less of each other.”

“A _lot_ less.” Tony pouted.

America’s lips quirked as she rested her chin in her hand, observing Tony carefully. Tony, meanwhile, frowned, wondering just how much America could read him. Not that she should be able to – he was an unpredictable genius…right?

“What do you want me to say, Tony?” She said softly.

“That you’ll come visit.” He replies immediately. “Especially when you’re feeling lonely.”

America is silent for a moment, quite touched, before she smiles. “Okay, Tony. I’ll come visit you when I can. I promise.”


	7. We Need to Talk About Tony Stark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the days between Tony’s sleepover and her father’s return, America had packed up her things and moved on to her next mission – an allegedly “very important” desk job near Fury’s office. America had her doubts.  
  


It was over dinner on the day that Coulson returned home, that the older Coulson cleared his throat, making America look at him expectantly.

“We need to talk about Tony Stark.”

America groaned. “Not again, Dad. Besides, Fury’s already moved me onto desk duty – Stark Industries found a replacement for me two days ago. My work there is finished.”

“And yet,” Coulson replied, “on your way home from your desk job today, you stopped by Stark Tower to pay Tony a visit.”

America’s jaw dropped. “Are you _spying on me?_ Your own _daughter?_ ”

“No. I’m not. But I did ask JARVIS to inform me if you decided to visit him again.” Coulson shrugged, feigning innocence.

“That counts as spying.” America glares. “Besides, we didn’t _do_ anything, we’re just……”

Coulson looks at her, brows raised. “Just what? Go on. Just friends? Just lovers?”

America can feel the heat rising in her face just as fast as her anger. “Teammates! And What. Is. Your. Point?”

“He’s a bad idea.”

“He’s a billionaire genius, Dad! And a philanthropist!”

“And a playboy.” Phil adds.

“Not around me, he isn’t.” America growls. “Not around me.”

“And why is that?”

“Because we’re _friends_. Okay? Just friends. We work well together.” America stands, dumping her plate in the sink.

“Where are you going, Meri?” Coulson says.

“I’m going to visit Tony. Because he’s my _friend._ ” America stomps out of the kitchen, and a few minutes later, Phil hears the front door slam as America leaves.

 

America was the one person in Phil’s life that mattered most. Being there for America had never been the easiest job for Phil. But he also tried as hard as America did to be there for him and that was why they were so close. He’d known all along that this would upset her, but he’d had no choice. She was his daughter, and he loves his daughter – ultimately, he wanted her to be safe and happy with the decisions she makes. She just needed a push in the right direction.

Phil got up and rolled up his sleeves to do the dishes. He had a lot of trust in America – she’d come home again safe and sound, he knew.


	8. Conflicted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony Stark was busy working on a new suit design when JARVIS chimed for his attention.

[Sir, America Coulson is at the door. I’m detecting residual anger on her. I hope you didn’t do anything.]

Tony looks up at a screen in which he can see an agitated Meri Coulson pacing at the door.

“Let her in, J. Something must have happened.”

Tony tucks his work away and awaits the arrival of the redhead patiently. He doesn’t have to wait long.

“Lonely already?” He jokes when she walks in.

“Shut up!” She says, before she sinks into a nearby couch, covering her face with her hands as she collects herself. “…Sorry. I’m just…on edge.”

“Uh, yeah, I can tell. Who pissed you off?” Tony pours her a drink and waves it in front of her face until she takes it.

“Alcohol? Really?” She says, eyeing the glass.

“It’s a rum and coke, it won’t kill you. You look like you could use one to loosen you up, anyways. And you still haven’t answered my question.”

America took a deep breath and a small sip before answering. “My dad.”

“Uh oh. Is he plotting a zillion ways to kill me? Should I be preparing my suits for battle? Is he gonna bring SHIELD to assassinate me?”

America looked at him confusedly. “What? No. Why would you think that?”

“Because you’re Agent’s kid and that’s probably a no-touching zone.” Tony couldn’t resist the pun, but he tries to keep serious.

America glared. “Make another joke like that and I’ll throw my drink in your face. And no. Um. I kinda told him we were just friends. Which is… kinda true. Right?”

Tony poses as though America had stabbed him in the heart. “Ouch, Meri, you’re breaking my heart here. Just friends? Didn’t we just spend the night in each other’s beds a couple days ago?”

America blushes bright pink. “Um. Were you…wanting…more of that?”

“Well I thought that was half of the reason you came back here just now.” Tony replies with a smile full of charm and temptation that does nothing but make America’s face grow redder.

“Well actually, I just came here to tick my dad off, since apparently _JARVIS_ decided to snitch me out to my dad earlier.”

“J, how could you betray me like that?” Tony says, looking upwards slightly and genuinely surprised.

[I am truly sorry Sir and Miss Coulson. The request was more of an order than anything else.]

America sighs. “And now I’m here, wondering what the hell I’m doing with my life. Fury’s got me working a desk job and I can’t understand what I’m being punished for.”

America’s shoulders slump - the fire that propelled her here had finally gone out and a feeling of defeat had hit her suddenly.

Tony sighs and scoots closer so that he can put his arm around her. “They’re punishing you, because they can’t punish me. They don’t trust me to not corrupt you. Up until now, you’ve been a good little mini-Agent, doing as you’re told. Me, on the other hand, I’m the one that hacks SHIELD to find out what they’re keeping from me. I don’t blame them for wanting to keep you away. You’re an asset, and I’m a bad influence - in their opinion.”

America sighs and nestles closer, into the warmth of Tony’s arms. “That’s not fair. You’ve been nothing but straightforward with me.”

Tony’s fingers begin to play with strands of America’s silky red hair. “Have I? Good luck getting them to believe that. They’ll think I’ve got you under some sort of magic spell or something.”

“Pfft. There’s no magic here.”

Suddenly, Tony’s other hand grabs America by the belt loop of her jeans and tugs her into his lap, so that she’s straddling him, while the first tightens slightly in her hair, tipping her head back so he can look her in the eye. “…You sure about that?”

America’s caught off guard and left breathless, her eyes wide.

“I… um…” She says, but Tony kisses her and all she can think to do is slide her hands up his chest and around his neck and kiss him back hungrily.

And yet, at the back of her mind, she can hear the conversation she had with her father earlier.

 

_“We’re just……”_

_“Just what? Go on. Just friends? Just lovers?”_

_“He’s a billionaire genius, Dad! And a philanthropist!”_

_“And a playboy.”_

_“Not around me, he isn’t. Not around me.”_

**_“And why is that?”_ **

 

_...Why?_

 

She gasps for air as Tony kisses down her neck and she moves her hands to his chest and pushes him back gently. “Tony. Tony, _stop_.”

A very confused genius raises his head to look at her. “What? What’s wrong?”

America takes a deep breath, fighting a sudden urge to cry as she scrambles out of Tony’s lap and stands. “I… I can’t. I’m so sorry. Not tonight, okay? Some other night. I promise. I’m sorry.”

Tony lets her go and watches her hurry to leave before she cried in front of him, wishing there was more that he could do to help.


	9. Did You Miss Me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> America put Tony Stark out of her mind for the next while. She paid her penance at her desk job for a month before she was assigned to a mission in Istanbul that kept her busy for another month. When she came back, she was invited to a meeting taking place the very next day to summarise to those present what she had learned in Turkey.

America figured there would be the usual – Fury, her father, a few government officials, maybe Cap, Natasha, and anyone else currently focusing on work that dealt with the Middle East, but the one person she wasn’t expecting to see was Tony.

“Long time no see, Agent Coulson Junior.” Tony said after the meeting.

“Mister Stark. I wasn’t expecting to see you today.”

“I decided to sit in on the meeting. For some reason, journalists seem to think I pay attention to things in the middle east.” He quirked an eyebrow at her. “I hear Director Fury keeps you busy?”

“Yes, Sir. Very busy.” She nods.

“And how’s Agent Coulson?”

“He’s well, Sir. He’s leaving for Portland in a few hours. Do you need to speak to him?” America’s head tilts slightly. Since when had America and Tony ever been so formal? Had her absence upset him?

“Hmm. No. But I need to ask you a favour, Agent. I have some files for Fury, but I forgot them, and my new assistant is adamant that they are not going to deliver them for me. Perhaps later today you can swing by Stark Tower and pick them up?”

“Certainly, Mister Stark. I’ll see you then.”

America hears her father call her name and glances over to him. By the time she turns back to Tony, he’s already walking away.

 

 

America found herself anxious to get away from work for the rest of the day. She leaves as soon as possible and heads to Stark Tower.

She finds Tony in his workshop, a stack of files next to him as he draws on a digital pad, the images appearing above him. America steps in, but says nothing, transfixed by the moment of the genius at work until JARVIS decides to ruin said moment.

[Sir, Miss Coulson is here.]

Tony doesn’t look up, he just shoves the files in her direction and carries on working. America can feel the guilt and hurt churning in her stomach, but she takes a breath and approaches the table, ignoring the files for the moment.

“I’m sorry, Tony.”

His pen stops. “Where did you go?”

“Istanbul.”

He looks up at her, and America fights the urge to flinch from the anger in his eyes as he stands, his hands bracing on the table as he leans forwards. “You were in Istanbul for a _month_. It’s been two months since I last saw you.”

“I’m sorry, Tony, I really am. I was scared and confused. I… I don’t understand what we are. Because I think it’s pretty obvious we’re not just friends. And I just couldn’t think about it anymore, so I just tried to…. Not think about you.”

“Did it work?” He crossed his arms, and America could feel something tug inside of her as her eyes took in the swift motion. She’d missed him more than she could say.

She shook her head. “I thought about you every single day.”

Tony doesn’t move, but suddenly the look in his eye isn’t angry. The way Tony looked at her made her feel as though her skin was on fire.

“Get on the desk.”

The files were all but forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a friendly warning that the next chapter consists of nothing but smut and kinky sex and has caused me to up the rating of this fic and add a few extra tags. I hope you all enjoy it, but if it's not your thing, you're absolutely welcome to skip past it, it won't impede your reading of the story. =)


	10. First Time For Everything, Darling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony decides that make-up sex is the ideal opportunity to corrupt America in the best way possible. Consentual, kinky sex involving handcuffs.  
> If you would like to skip the sex, feel free to move on to the next chapter. =)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Get on the desk."

Rather than crawling up onto the desk, America walks around it, coming to stand in front of the small space in front of Tony before she gracefully takes a seat on the desk and spreads her legs, hands on her knees, looking as innocent as possible for Tony, even though she’s already dripping wet.

It has the exact effect she was hoping for as Tony groans softly at the simple tease, one hand threading into her hair as he steps into the gap between her legs and kisses her hungrily, claiming her mouth. America moans into his mouth as Tony’s other hand slides up her thigh and under the professional skirt she’d worn that day, rubbing directly against her wetness. One of America’s hands slides up and into his hair, keeping Tony close as she arches against his slowly teasing fingers, her other hand quickly sliding into his pants and wrapping around his length, stroking him just as slowly as he teased her. Tony yanks her head back as a soft growl escapes him, kissing and biting gently down America’s neck before he leans back just a little to rip her delicate blouse open and pull it off, taking in the sight of America in a bra and wet panties, her skirt pushed up to her waist and looking absolutely ravishing.

And then Tony sits down, to America’s shock, but makes no move to invite her. America shifts slightly, but he places a hand on her thigh to stop her. “Uh-uh. I want to watch.”

“You mean...? Oh Jesus, Tony.” America whispers, as he uses the height difference to expertly pull off America’s panties, exposing her wetness to the cool air of the workshop.

“Go on.” He murmurs, and America can feel the heat rising in her cheeks as she shyly slides a hand between her legs and caresses her folds, pretending it’s Tony that’s still teasing her as she slides one finger inside herself. Tony leaves little kisses along the insides of her thighs, watching attentively as America gradually adds another finger to the mix while a third teases her clit. Tony watches as her breathing suddenly changes and he pulls her hand away, telling her to stop and take her bra off, while he wiggles her skirt off of her and pulls something out of his pocket – a pair of very sturdy looking, satin-lined handcuffs.

Tony smirks like the cat that got the canary and America just looks at him speechlessly.

“First time for everything, darling.” He murmurs, kissing her cheek as he gently takes one of her hands and cuffs it, placing it on the table behind her so her hand can support her weight.

“Do you trust me?” He says, looking America in the eye.

“Yes.” She replies.

“Good. Because these handcuffs aren’t going to be coming off for a while.” He says as he guides her other hand behind her and cuffs it. America tests out the restraint, finding it just enough to restrict her, but still enough that she could support her weight, since her legs were hanging off the edge of the table and her feet couldn't touch the floor.

Tony kisses her, his hands roaming her skin, and then he kisses all the way down her chest and stomach and in between America’s legs. She’d been so close to orgasm from Tony watching her that she can’t help but whimper needily as Tony’s tongue laps up every inch of her arousal and swirls around her clit. Tony sucks and licks, and even nibbles as he works two fingers in and out of America until she’s begging him to let her release, barely able to keep still.

America’s thighs tremble and she growls as Tony sees it as his sign to pull back, but she’s not left waiting for long as he slides into her, the sensation setting off her first orgasm _finally_. America cries out in pleasure as Tony holds her steady at the hips and fucks her, gently at first but slowly gaining speed as America’s body starts to respond to him once again. America’s gaze is held by Tony the entire time, and all she can do is place her weight on her cuffed hands as her body bounces slightly with each thrust. Tony is in total control and America finds herself absolutely loving it as he slides his hands under her ass to change the angle slightly, and that’s all it takes to set America off again at the same time as Tony. America’s mind goes absolutely blank for a moment but when her eyes open, she’s lying back on the table with Tony on top of her. He raises his head and kisses her forehead, guiding America up and off the table. He takes off one handcuff, but not the other, instead pulling America’s hands around to her front and cuffing them again.

“Go to the bedroom and wait for me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's that, you say? More?! Use your imagination! ;D Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	11. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It felt good to be in Tony’s arms again. She was nuzzling his shoulder and he was stroking her head with his free hand, the other holding her close.

“…That settles it. We’re definitely not ‘just friends’.” She mumbles, setting Tony off laughing.

“I feel like I should apologise, but I’m not sorry.” He says.

“Don’t.” She smiles, wiggling upwards a little to steal a kiss. “The only question now is… How the hell am I gonna break the news to my dad?”

“Oh God, I’m gonna have to avoid him for weeks, aren’t I? This is all your fault, Miss America Coulson.”

“Mine?!” America looked at him incredulously.

“Mhm. You walked in here that day with that file, looking all shy and incredibly beautiful, and then what’s a guy like me to do?”

“Send her flowers?”

“Psh. That’s old fashioned. That’s Cap’s thing, not mine.”

“Mmm, true, your thing is to buy her dresses and pretty things and take her to parties and make her feel absolutely beautiful.”

“And did it work?” Tony looked at her.

“It did.”

“And what about now?” Tony’s fingers skimmed along her hip, making her smile.

“I’ve never felt as beautiful as I’ve felt tonight. Especially…um…on the table.”

“You just did all of _that_ so enthusiastically and _now_ you’re getting all shy on me?” Tony snickered.

“Oh, stop.” America pouted.

“Nope. You, Miss America, are adorable.” Tony says, tickling America’s side and making her squeal before he rolls on top of her to playfully pin her down and make her laugh and blush some more.


	12. We Need To Talk About Tony Stark. Again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The day after Phil Coulson got back from Portland, America cornered him before dinner.

“We need to talk about Tony Stark.” She said.

“Sure.” Coulson sat down, attentive and slightly amused.

“We’re not just friends.”

“I see.” Coulson nods. “Congratulations.”

America blinks, surprised at the acceptance. “That’s it? No disapproval? No argument? No warning?”

Coulson chuckles. “Nope. None. All I’ve ever wanted is for you to be entirely certain that he was what you wanted. Besides, he loves you.”

America does a double take. “Wait – WHAT?!”

“He does. He’s also the one that sent you to Istanbul. Stark came in a month and a half ago on one of your days off and had a very long meeting with Fury, in which he essentially bargained for you to be taken off of desk duty in exchange for a favour he would fulfil for Fury. I think he realised something – that the best way for you to deal with your emotions was to get away for a while and deal with them away from anyone that had any opinion about you and him. And then when he showed up at that meeting the very next day after you came home, I honestly wasn’t surprised. He probably got JARVIS to hack into our SHIELD calendars to see what was planned so that he could find the right opportunity to see you. He invited you to his house, right?”

“On the pretense of picking up some SHIELD files.” America nodded.

“To give you an opportunity to either take the files and walk away, to leave it at ‘just friends’, or to take the chance on something else. Because ultimately, Tony Stark wants you to be happy in the exact same way that I want you to be happy. He loves you, he just doesn’t know it.” Coulson finished.

America sits in shellshocked silence for the next little while, and Coulson pats her on the shoulder and goes to get dinner ready.

Her father’s interpretation of her relationship with Tony lingers in her mind, the word “love” dancing around in her brain like it was playing hide-and-seek with her.

The word was still dancing around in her mind a few days later, when Tony invited her over for a movie in his home theater. They ended up settling on a 70s Sci-Fi movie that was so cheesy that America and Tony couldn’t stop laughing through the entire movie.

“So…” America said afterward as she watched the Stark Industries version of a robot vacuum quite impressively clean up spilled popcorn. “…I, uh, I told my Dad about us.”

“Oh really?” Tony looked over at her. “Does he plan to kill me?”

“No, actually. He’s completely fine with it. Weird, right?”

“That’s Agent for you. Mysterious in his ways.” Tony replies, earning a snort from America as she digs around for the take-out menus.

“I’m craving burgers.” She tells him.

“Then burgers we shall have, milady.”

America raises an eyebrow, but Tony’s playful smile makes her shake her head and chuckle, turning her attention back to the menu – until it’s plucked from her hands and Tony bounces into a seat opposite her.

“I have a question. It’s kind of a burning question, because it’s been bugging me for a while.”

“Oookay. Ask.”

Tony presses a finger to his lips as he very conscientiously forces his brain to form the sentence in his mind before he opens his mouth, choosing his words carefully for once.

“That day, in the workshop. You said that you were confused about what we were, but you also said you were scared. What did you mean by that?”

America certainly hadn’t been expecting that kind of a question, but she takes a deep breath as she tries to think it through. Tony watches her earnestly, with overwhelming curiosity, and it takes America a frustratingly long time to form the right words. “W-well… When I said I was scared, I basically meant that I was scared of love. I always have been. Love is this big, scary, deep thing, and, well… I mean, just look at the world we live in. We live in a world where the stakes are higher, because we’re superheroes and secret agents. Things don’t always go as planned. Stuff…happens. And things aren’t always okay. And to try and love in a world like that seems scary. To love someone at all seems scary. Giving someone the key to my heart isn’t something I take lightly, I guess.”

Tony nods and places the take out menu back in America’s hands, before he stands and goes to look out of one of the full length windows, clearly lost in thought until America comes up behind him and places her hand on his shoulder.

“Why do you ask, Tony? Did something happen?”

Tony shrugged. “I had a meeting with Fury. He just kinda… got under my skin. It’s nothing, I’ll be fine. Hey, how about we go for a drive for those burgers? Eat in, instead of take out? C’mon, it’ll be fun.”


	13. We Need To Talk About America Coulson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we find out how Fury managed to get under Tony's skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It had been a routine Avengers meeting for Tony, all the way up until the moment they were dismissed.

“You’re free to go, folks. Have a good rest of your day. …Not you, though, Stark. I need to speak to you.”

And so Tony waited while waving goodbye to his fellow Avengers.

“We need to talk about America Coulson, Stark.” Fury said.

“Uh, I don’t _need_ to talk to you about anything, especially not my personal affairs.” Tony shot back.

“We both know Miss Coulson is more than just a ‘personal affair’.” Fury replied calmly. “Look, I won’t threaten you or beat around the bush, or any of that shit. Just tell it to me straight: Do you love her?”

Tony blinks and frowns. “America and I are just…”

Fury leans in. “Just what, Stark? Just friends?”

“Friends with benefits.” Tony replies defensively.

“Sure you are. You go on telling yourself that. You mean to tell me you don’t care about her?”

“I do care about her, Fury, as a _friend_.”

Fury shakes his head. “Bullshit, Stark. Friends don’t do half the stuff you’ve done for her. Friends don’t come into my office and say half the shit you said to me to make a bargain so that she could get off of desk duty. Friends don’t think about each other every goddamn day. How often do you text her good morning, just because you know it’ll make her smile if she knows you’re thinking of her? Every day? Every few days?  
“Look, you can go around doing your little denial dance all you want in front of her, but I’m not going to let you waste my time like that. You love her. Do everyone involved a favour and admit it. There’s no shame in it, she’s a wonderful woman, Stark.”

Tony just glared at Fury and walked out without another word.

Fury didn’t bother to take any sort of reactionary measure – he’d known all along that Stark just needed a push in the right direction.

 

A week later, Stark barges into Fury’s office.

“First of all, I hate you. Second of all, you’re right. I do love her. But she’s terrified of love. She said so herself.”

Fury just blinked his eye slowly at Tony. “Are you asking me for love advice, Stark?”

“Maybe.” Tony grumped.

“We fear love, because we fear our hearts getting broken. Love means taking a chance and trusting someone else with your heart, and hearts are fragile. You, of all people, know that. So show her you’re worth taking a chance on. She might think she doesn’t love you, but she’s in as much denial as you were. I’m willing to bet she’s already halfway there. It’ll be easier and simpler than you think.”

Tony turned and walked out of Fury’s office without another word.

“You’re welcome!” Fury called out, chuckling to himself and shaking his head as soon as Stark is out of earshot. “Kids these days…”


	14. All The Variables

America had never, ever, _ever_ seen Tony Stark look so troubled in his life as he’d been looking as of late.   
And the worrying part was that he was only ever doing it when he thought America wasn’t looking.

America had taken to sleeping over at Tony’s place.   
Which was fine, except recently Tony would pace around his room at night after sex, when he thought America was asleep. And if he wasn’t pacing around, he would be sitting in the afternoons with this deep look of concentration and worry while he gazed off into the distance, claiming he was thinking up a new suit idea that required all of his brainpower. And then he’d go and argue quietly with JARVIS, only for the entire conversation to come to a dead halt as soon as America entered the room. America would smile and pretend to not notice, but it was starting to make her nervous.  
  


Perhaps the most concerning incident was when she noticed one day that Tony was so lost in thought that he hadn’t moved a muscle for an entire two hours.

“Tony? …Toooonnyyyyyy…” She said quietly as she entered, coming to sit next to him so that she could wrap her arms around him and gently rouse him from his thoughts.

“Hmm…?”

“If you keep on thinking this hard, you’re gonna strain your brain.”

Tony just chuckled and kissed the top of America’s head.

“What’s bugging you, Tony? Something wrong?”

Tony shrugged. “It’s…not a difficult problem, it’s just that the solutions keeps on becoming too damn complex. Mind you, it’s an uncomplicated problem with slightly complicated variables and…” He trails off, sighing.

“Well if it’s an uncomplicated problem, then try a simple solution? Perfected simplicity, without being spartan about it, is a pretty good way of doing things. Like… A wine bottle, for example. It’s a simple bottle, but it’s perfectly elegant. Long, slender, with a stable base that has a dip in it where you hold it to pour it. No fancy contraption there, just a glass bottle. But it’s perfect in it’s simplicity. You never look at a wine bottle and wish there was something else it could do. ...Other than maybe never running out of wine.”

"Perfected simplicity..." Tony echoes, lost in thought for a moment before he looks at America and beams, grabbing her and giving her a big kiss.

“America Coulson. You. Are a genius.”

“Says the genius.” America grins.

Tony bounces up and out of the chair like a spring, “Okay, I have _so_ much to do but first, JARVIS, I need you to get me on the line with the Capsicle. I don't care what he's doing or where he is - this trumps all of it. Meri, darling, I’m gonna be busy for the next few hours, but I won’t forget about helping you with that mission you’ve been assigned! We'll conquer it with teamwork!”

And with that, Tony sweeps out of the room, leaving America shaking her head in amusement.


End file.
